Teachers in Nepal mourn dozens of lost students as flood recovery stalls
A month after a glacial-burst flood killed over 1,400 people in Nepal, teachers at Neelakantha Secondary School are still marking absent students in red, grieving the 70 pupils and four staff members lost.
A glacial-burst flood on Aug 26 near the China-Nepal border swept through Rasuwa district, killing more than 1,400 people and leaving over 5,000 missing. Neelakantha Secondary School, spared from total destruction, lost 70 students and four teachers, and staff now mark the names of missing pupils in red each morning. Across Rasuwa and neighboring districts, about 500 students and 24 teachers remain missing and 18 schools require up to US$15.47 million in repairs.
UNICEF reports that learning has been halted for more than 14,000 children at 62 schools, and the education ministry describes the crisis as the worst ever faced by the sector. Only half of Neelakantha’s 508 pupils have returned, as damaged bridges and roads block access, and many classrooms serve as relief centres. Teachers warn that psychological trauma may be harder to overcome than the physical damage, urging psychosocial support for survivors.
Why it matters
The disaster threatens the education and mental health of thousands of Nepali children, hindering recovery and future prospects.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 Scientists Spot Early Glacier Warning Signs Before Nepal Flood Disaster
- Sep 7 Chinese worker Lu Haitao was rescued from a 225‑metre hydropower tunnel and air‑lifted to a hospital.
- Sep 7 The United Nations launched a $50 million appeal to aid flood‑affected residents.
- Sep 9 Two hydropower workers were rescued after being trapped for nine days.
- Sep 9 Death toll increased to 1,365 and bodies recovered reached 1,367.
- Sep 14 UN assistant secretary‑general Kanni Wignaraja warned of expanding flood risk across the Himalayas.
- Sep 17 A new UN Environment Programme review labeled glacier melt an “immediate” climate risk.
- Sep 20 The missing‑person count was increased by roughly one thousand.
- Sep 24 A World Weather Attribution study was released indicating that human‑induced warming likely increased the likelihood of the slope collapse.
- Sep 25 Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed the United Nations, requesting grant‑based assistance and proposing a Himalayan climate‑resilience mechanism.
- Sep 26 Australian families have newly demanded disclosure of mobile‑phone activity logged on August 27.
- Sep 27 An avalanche on the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal in Manang’s Nar Phu area left ten climbers and support workers unaccounted for.
- Sep 27 The UN loss‑and‑damage fund has still not announced any allocation for Nepal’s flood response.
- Sep 28 A rescue team arrived at Himlung base camp on Monday to begin searches.
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